Recovery
by timelords-wizards-winchesters
Summary: Troy and Gabriella were the best of friends when they were younger, but in recent years, they've grown apart. Things happen, people change. Will tragedy help them rediscover their lost friendship, or even gain something more? Troyella, multichapter.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! This is another little something I've been working on. It's going to be a multi-chapter, but not a super long one, probably around four or five chapters unless a lot of people request otherwise. Let me know what you think!_

 _-Nicole_

"That chemistry test was ridiculously hard," Taylor whined. Gabriella groaned.

"Ugh, I'm taking that last period today."

The two brainiacs were sitting side by side at a cafeteria table, textbooks stacked next to them.

"There was this whole section on Stoichiometry, Gabi, it was terrible," Taylor continued.

"Shit, I didn't study Stoichiometry! She said it was just going to be on atomic structure!"

"I know!"

Gabriella pulled her chemistry book from the pile on the table and quickly flipped to the correct section, burying herself in the information.

"I have half an hour of lunch to study this," she muttered.

"Hey girls," a bubbly voice said. The perky blonde dropped her bag next to her chair and her lunch tray on the table.

"Hey Shar," Taylor acknowledged. "Ignore Gabi, she's stressing about the chemistry quiz she has last period. Hey Kelsi, hey Ryan."

Right behind Sharpay, her twin brother followed, along with Kelsi's tiny form.

"Hey guys," Ryan said, taking a seat. Kelsi did the same.

"So, girls…" Sharpay began. She was immediately cut off by loud laughter from the nearby table. Even Gabriella looked up from her textbook, a bit dazed. They all turned toward the sound, frowning. Gabriella turned away with a pang in her heart once she saw Troy punching Chad playfully, surrounded by his basketball friends.

Troy used to be _her_ friend. Her best friend.

She thought back to elementary school wistfully.

" _What's wrong, Gabriella?" Troy asked. The small brown-eyed girl sat against the playground fence at recess, her legs pulled close to her chest. Her head was buried between her knees in an effort to hide the tears, but nothing could stop her body from shaking._

" _I don't get it Troy, why are they so mean to me?" she cried, looking up at him._

" _Who? Sharpay? She's just jealous that you're smarter than she is. You could do that math problem with your eyes closed, she didn't know the answer at all!"_

" _She called me a nerd. She said she hated me. I didn't mean to do anything to her!" Gabriella paused for a moment. "I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore."_

" _What?" Troy started. He sat down next to Gabriella and she shifted away from him, staring out across the playground. "Ella, you're my best friend. I'm gonna be your best friend forever and ever, okay? I don't care what Sharpay thinks. You're way cooler than she is anyways."_

" _Really?"_

" _Really."_

" _You promise?" She finally met his gaze. Troy grinned at her, holding out his pinky._

" _Promise."_

Promises like that aren't kept, Gabriella realized, especially as she and Troy got older. That promise had dissipated once they stepped foot in the East High halls. Troy joined the basketball team and made new friends. He talked to her a bit at first, but their conversations occurred less frequently as time went on. He hadn't even texted her in three weeks, and the last time he had, it was a question about his biology homework. They weren't really friends anymore, she thought. The best word for it was probably 'acquaintances'. Sometimes he would wave at her in the halls, but that was the extent of it. Even though she lived next door to him, she barely saw him anymore.

"Gabi? Are you okay?"

Ryan's voice snapped her from her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said immediately. "I guess I just zoned out for a second there." She looked around at the table and a tiny smile crossed her face. They had come a long way since elementary school. It was sort of ironic that she was closer now with Sharpay than she was with Troy. Ever since she tutored Sharpay in algebra their freshman year, and Sharpay convinced Gabriella to try out for the musical, the two had been inseparable.

"It's okay! I was just saying, I want to have a girls' movie night tonight. I can help you work on your solo for the show, if you want to meet earlier. Are you guys down?" Sharpay suggested.

"I'm assuming I'm not invited," Ryan grumbled.

"Sorry, Ry, maybe next time," Taylor giggled. "We can do it at my place, if you want."

"I'm in! _The Last Five Years_ is finally on Netflix, we should totally watch that one!" Kelsi added. Everyone turned to look at Gabriella.

"I really do need that extra practice for the show. I'll be there."

The lunch bell rang, interrupting the conversation.

"God!" Gabriella cried. "I didn't get to study for that test!"

"You'll be fine, bestie. You always are," Sharpay smiled, hugging her quickly. "I'll see you ladies tonight. 6:30!"

"Thanks Shar."

"Mom? You home?" Gabriella called as she closed the front door and hung her car keys on the hook by the door. She sighed when she got no response, making her way into the kitchen. A note lay on the counter, as she expected.

 _Gabriella –_

 _My boss called me this morning. I have to fly to Chicago for the weekend. I'll be home on Monday, baby. I left some money on the counter for dinner, if you want. I'll see you when I get back._

Just as she finished reading, the doorbell rang. She rushed to answer it.

"Lucille!" she exclaimed. The auburn-haired woman smiled at her.

"Gabriella! How are you, sweetheart? You haven't stopped next door in ages!"

"Sorry," Gabriella apologized, her smile shrinking a bit. Troy hadn't _asked_ her to come. "I know Troy has been busy with basketball and stuff, I don't want to interrupt him, I guess. I know he's working hard to get a scholarship."

"Yes, he is," Lucille smiled proudly. "But you really shouldn't worry about that! You could even come around when Troy isn't there – my cookies are always better when I bake them with you. You know you're like a second daughter to me, honey."

Gabriella smiled widely, incredibly touched.

"Thank you, Lucille. I'll definitely take you up on that offer," she lied. How could she? It was difficult even talking to Lucille, no matter how much she loved Troy's mother. Her faded friendship with Troy was ruining everything.

"Anyways, I stopped by to drop off this book I borrowed from your mother," Lucille said, holding up the book in question.

"Oh! Thank you," Gabriella said, taking the book from her. "She's not home right now, she had an emergency business trip."

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, but just for the weekend. It happens all the time."

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't want you to be alone! At least come to dinner tonight," Lucille offered, concern lacing her voice.

"I'd love to, but I already made plans with Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi. Next time, for sure, though," Gabriella responded with the best smile she could muster.

"Okay, if you're sure. Take care, Gabriella."

"You too." Gabriella watched Lucille's retreating form cross the lawn, hearing a basketball bouncing on the pavement and knowing that Troy was in the backyard practicing. She ached to talk to him, really talk to him, the way they used to. Phone conversations that lasted until three in the morning had turned into the occasional nod of acknowledgment in the halls. She wanted to cry just thinking about it. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she stepped back inside and dropped the book on the kitchen counter before grabbing her book bag and heading to her bedroom to do her homework.

At 6:15, Gabriella pulled on her jacket and grabbed her car keys, along with an overnight bag that she was taking to Taylor's. Jack Bolton was just pulling in his driveway next door when she stepped onto her porch, probably late because of papers he had to grade. He waved back after he parked, smiling. Stepping out of the car, he called to her.

"Hi, Gabriella! How are you?"

"I'm great, how are you?"

"I'm wonderful, that's good to hear. Where ya headed?"

"Taylor's. We're having a movie night."

"Dad!"

Gabriella had to keep herself from flinching at the sound of Troy's voice. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she'd heard it. She watched her old friend walk from his backyard to the front.

"Hey, Troy, how's your practice going?" his father asked.

"I've just been working on free throws for a bit, but we can play one on one after dinner…" Troy trailed off as he followed his father's gaze, noticing Gabriella on her porch. He smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Gabriella returned the same half-hearted smile, but said nothing.

"Hey, Gabriella," Troy said after a moment.

"Hi, Troy."

Silence fell again, until Gabriella couldn't take it anymore.

"I should probably go, I don't want to be late," she said quickly, turning her gaze to Jack to make it less painfully awkward. She sent Troy a final glance. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Troy said, clearing his throat. "Bye, Ella."

Her heart stung at his use of his nickname for her.

"Have a good time, Gabriella," Jack grinned, waving. Gabriella waved back and hopped in her car.

"God, I hope this girls' night can take my mind off this," she muttered to herself, starting her car and pulling out of the driveway.

After dinner, some extra basketball practice with his dad, and a hot shower, Troy laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was lost in thought. His mom had said something that bothered him.

" _I stopped next door today to give Maria her book back, but she wasn't there. I did see Gabriella, though. She's grown up into such a beautiful young woman, I do miss seeing her around here."_

 _Troy froze, a forkful of pasta halfway in his mouth. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating anymore. He set his fork down and his parents looked at him._

" _Are you okay, son?" asked Jack. Troy stared at his pasta like it had just revealed the secrets of the universe. Looking up to meet his dad's eyes, his own looked incredibly sad. He offered a fake smile._

" _I'm fine, Dad. Just tired I guess."_

That was a lie. He wasn't fine. He missed Gabriella too. There was a knock on his doorframe and he sat up.

"Hey, Dad," he said, flopping back down onto the bed, sinking into the pillows.

"Are you sure you're okay, Troy? You barely ate at dinner."

There was a moment of silence before Troy spoke.

"Dad, was Gabriella – I mean – do you think she was acting weird earlier?" he blurted. Jack looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Jack prodded.

"She barely looked me in the eye earlier. And then what Mom said at dinner…"

"So, you miss her too."

"Well, yeah," Troy admitted.

"Well, you know you don't have to. You go to school together, you live next door to each other. Don't you see her every day?"

"Yeah but it's not the same. She doesn't talk to me anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well-" Troy started, then stopped himself. "I actually have no idea."

"I think I might have a clue." Both boys turned to look at Lucille, peeking through the doorway.

"She sees you at school every day, but you're always with the basketball team. Right?" Lucille continued. Troy nodded and frowned. "She knows that you're working hard to get that basketball scholarship, and you're doing what you love to do. She even told me earlier – she doesn't want to interrupt you. She knows exactly what you're determined to do, Troy – she knows everything about you. But have you been paying attention to what she's been doing?"

"Well…I guess not," Troy said.

"Honey, I think you and Gabriella should talk. I bet you she misses you just as much as you miss her. And pay a bit more attention. Say hello to her in the hallways or class. For now, just get some sleep. You have the entire weekend to figure out what to say," Lucille said. "I know you two will always be friends."

Troy nodded again, his brow furrowed. Lucille took her husband's arm and they left, leaving Troy alone with his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's a second chapter! I'm not entirely sure how long this story is going to turn out, but probably not super long. Enjoy!_

 _-Nicole_

" _When I grow up, I don't want a job like my mom has," Gabriella said decisively._

" _Why not?"_

" _She's never home." The tired girl sighed._

" _I know, but when she's not home, you get to stay at my house. And we can stay up all night and watch movies since it's Friday," he reminded her. Troy looked at his best friend, her hair braided in pigtails. They sat on the curb of the street, waiting to be picked up after school._

" _Troy?"_

" _Yeah, Ella?"_

" _What do you want to be when you grow up?"_

" _That's so far away," he said._

" _Not really. We're going to be in high school in two years."_

" _Well, I don't know. I really like playing basketball, and Mr. Smith said I could probably play for the high school team and get a scholarship for college."_

" _You're really good at it, Troy. If anyone can be a professional basketball player, you can."_

" _If I make the high school team, will you come to all my games?" he asked her._

" _Of course I'll be there. I'll always be there, Troy. Best friends, for ever and ever. Remember?"_

 _He smiled at her._

" _I remember."_

Troy woke up groggily from his dream to the shrill sound of the house phone ringing. He blinked as his vision cleared, glancing at his alarm clock through the pitch black darkness. It was three in the morning.

"What the hell?" he muttered, dragging himself out of bed and into the hallway. He picked up the phone from the side table.

"Hello?" he answered, trying to sound more awake than he was.

"Troy, is that you? It's me, Maria."

"Oh, hi, Maria…"

The older woman interrupted him.

"Troy, I need to speak to your mom. It's an emergency." Troy frowned. Maria sounded upset, he could swear he heard her sniffling through the phone.

"Troy, honey, who's on the phone at this hour?"

Lucille poked her head out of her bedroom, looking tired.

"It's Maria," he said, handing her the phone. "She said it's an emergency."

"Maria? What's wrong? Wait – slow down," Lucille said. Jack stepped out into the hallway and he and Troy tried to piece things together from what they heard.

"Gabriella's where?" Lucille gasped. "Oh my god, Maria, is she okay?"

Troy could feel his heart get heavier in his chest. If he wasn't awake before, he surely was now.

"Mom, what's going on?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"Yes, of course. I'll call you once we get there. This isn't your fault. Yes, I'll see you tomorrow," Lucille said as she hung up the phone. Her voice was thick, like she was about to cry, Troy thought, and he saw he was right when a tear trickled down her cheek.

"We need to go to the hospital," she said. "Quick, get changed."

Jack rushed to do as he was told, but Troy stood frozen in the middle of the hallway.

"Mom?" he asked, his voice small.

"Go put clothes on, Troy," she said, gently as she could through the tears.

The drive to the hospital was silent, but for Lucille's sniffling. Jack drove and Troy sat in the backseat, staring at his hands. He hadn't cried, but he was shaking, he could tell from the way he couldn't even open the door to get out of the car.

The family of three rushed in the emergency room doors, walking right up to the nurse at the desk.

"My name is Jack Bolton. We're here for Gabriella Montez," Jack said. "She was in a car accident. Her mother can't be here until tomorrow, she called us because she didn't want her to be alone."

"Yes, Dr. Martin told me you were coming. Miss Montez is in surgery right now," the nurse told them.

"Surgery?" Troy repeated, his voice hoarse.

"There was scrap metal and glass embedded in her chest. They should be done with her soon. I'll take you three to the waiting room," the nurse said. They followed, Lucille grasping her husband's hand.

The trio sat in the waiting room for what seemed like days. Lucille sobbed and Jack comforted her, the best he could. Troy sat with his head between his knees, feeling like he was going to be sick.

"Are you the Bolton family?" an old man asked. Troy glanced at the clock. It was nearly five in the morning. They'd been sitting there for an hour and a half.

"Yes," Jack responded.

"I'm Dr. Martin," the man began. Troy interrupted immediately.

"Is Gabriella okay?" His voice cracked on her name.

"Well, that's up to her now," the doctor admitted. "We did what we could in surgery, removed the glass shard from her chest. She's lucky, if the glass had cut any deeper, it would have punctured her heart. One of her legs is broken. Those aren't the injuries we're worried about, though. She suffered a pretty bad blow to the head." The doctor paused. "We don't know when she'll wake up. If she'll wake up."

"Oh my god," Lucille breathed. Suddenly, it all felt too real. His best friend might die. Troy began to cry.

"Oh, honey," Lucille said, pulling her son close to her.

"Can we see her?" asked Jack.

"Yes. We've set her up in a private room, you can sit with her," said the doctor. "Come with me."

Dr. Martin led them down the hall to a tiny, private recovery room. Troy was the first through the door, taking in the sight of her. She looked incredibly tiny, the bed too big for her, and she was dangerously pale. An IV was hooked up to her arm, which was neatly bandaged. Her right leg was in a cast. There was another bandage wrapped around her forehead like a headband.

He said nothing – what could he say? – but he pulled the chair from the corner of the room and sat down right next to her bed, holding her hand, and there he stayed until the morning.

"Troy, honey, wake up."

Troy blinked awake as someone shook his shoulder. He met his mother's eyes.

"Your father and I are going down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. We'll bring something back for you."

"What time is it?"

"A little after noon. Maria is going to be here in a few hours. You should call Taylor," Lucille said softly. She glanced down and Troy followed her gaze. He was still grasping her hand. He let go, missing the warmth almost immediately, and cleared his throat.

"Yeah. That's a good idea," he said. His eyes fell on Gabriella's face. "I just want her to wake up."

"I do too," said a voice. They turned to the doorway to see the doctor standing there. "We've done what we can. It's up to her now." He nodded at Gabriella's still form.

Troy nodded. His mother kissed his cheek.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes. Don't forget to call Taylor. I love you, honey."

"I love you too," Troy said, but he was looking at Gabriella's sleeping form the whole time.

"I'm just here to check up on her, and replace her IV bag," the doctor explained. Troy nodded, standing up and stretching.

"I'm gonna call her friends," Troy said, stepping out into the hallway. He immediately realized that he didn't have Taylor's phone number, so he dialed someone else.

"Troy! Where are you man? You missed our two on two game this morning!"

"Chad, I need Taylor McKessie's phone number," Troy interrupted.

"What? Why? And why do you think I have Taylor McKessie's phone number?"

"Gabriella is in the hospital."

"Oh my god, dude, is she okay?"

"Chad-" he stopped as his voice cracked, barely keeping his composure. "They don't know if she's going to wake up."

"Jesus," Chad breathed. "Oh my god."

"I need to tell Taylor."

"Yeah, I'll text it to you man. Keep me updated. I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Chad."

Troy hung up and then dialed the number Chad sent him into his phone, pausing to work up his courage before calling.

"Hello?" said a cheerful voice.

"Taylor?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Troy Bolton."

"Troy Bolton? What – wait, where did you get my phone number?"

"Not important. Gabriella's in the hospital."

"What?" Taylor exclaimed. "Oh my god, why?"

"There was a car accident – some guy ran a red light," he croaked. "I just…I know she would want you here."

"Oh my god. Oh my god," Taylor said. Troy could hear the change in her voice – she was crying. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes, Troy. What's the room number?" He glanced at the door.

"105," he said. There was a click as she hung up the phone. Troy sighed and turned back into the room, sitting down again in the same uncomfortable green chair from the night before.

His mother returned five minutes later, a blueberry muffin in hand. His father was close behind. She gave it to him and he picked it apart, not feeling particularly hungry. He got up and threw it in the garbage.

"Mom," he said angrily, feeling warm tears trickle down his cheeks. "Why? Why is this happening? She doesn't – she doesn't deserve this!" He gestured at Gabriella. He stumbled back against the wall, sinking down to the floor.

"She doesn't deserve this," he repeated quietly.

Lucille sat down on the floor next to her son, wrapping an arm around him.

"I know," she said quietly. Jack, Lucille, and Troy all sat in silence, just watching the slight rise and fall of Gabriella's chest, taking comfort in the fact that she was breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

_I think this might be my favorite chapter so far! I'm not quite sure where the story is headed after this – I'm just going to keep writing and see what flows onto the pages. I hope you enjoy it!_

 _-Nicole_

/

"Oh god," said a small voice. Troy looked away from Gabriella to see Taylor entering the room. He stood up to meet the crying girl, and they faced the bed.

"How could this happen?" Taylor whispered. Troy just shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Taylor!"

Both their heads snapped around to see three more teens storm into the room. The blonde froze when she saw Gabriella.

 _What the hell is Sharpay doing here?_ Troy thought. He also took notice of Ryan Evans and another petite girl.

"Gabi," Sharpay cried, rushing to the bedside. She smoothed hair from Gabriella's face. A sob came from the girl near Ryan.

"Oh, Kelsi," Taylor said, wiping away her own tears.

"It's not fair," Kelsi cried.

"When is she going to wake up?" Ryan managed to say. It was all he could make out without breaking down.

Troy swallowed. "They don't know if she will."

Everyone froze.

"My god," Sharpay finally said. "This isn't happening."

Taylor sniffed, pulling herself together. "I'll drop by her house. Grab her some more comfortable pajamas, instead of that thin hospital gown. She must be freezing. I just – I feel like I need to do something."

"I'll go with you," Kelsi said softly, and Ryan nodded.

"Me too," he said.

"I'm staying," Sharpay said. "I – I can't leave her."

"Okay," Ryan said. "We'll be back soon." The three left.

"Troy, if Sharpay is going to stay, you should go home and take a shower – eat something," Jack started, but Troy immediately interrupted.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said firmly, taking the seat by Gabriella's bedside. He and Sharpay looked at each other strangely.

Lucille's phone began to ring, and she answered it quickly.

"Maria? Yes, of course. Yes. Troy and Sharpay – okay. We'll be there soon."

Everyone was looking at her when she hung up.

"Jack, we need to go pick Maria up from the airport," she said.

"I'm staying," Troy said.

"I know, honey," Lucille said. She kissed her son's forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

Jack gave Troy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and then he was gone, Lucille close behind.

/

Troy and Sharpay sat in tense silence for a while, before he finally spoke. He was holding Gabriella's hand, tracing the lines of her palm gently, but he was staring at the blonde girl across the bed.

"What are you doing here?" he blurted.

"What do you mean?" Sharpay asked, startled.

"I – you – " Troy said. "I thought you guys hated each other."

"What, me and Gabi?"

"Well, yeah."

"We used to, I guess," Sharpay said. "But we grew up. We got over it. I was mean to her, but she forgave me. She's the kindest person I've ever known."

"Yeah."

"There was just this one day, freshman year, and I was having a really rough time in math. She helped me work through the problem, and the teacher decided Gabriella should tutor me. And we spent a lot of time together, I guess, and realized we actually had a lot in common. Then one day, I asked her to wait for me until after our audition for the winter musical, and one of the cast members didn't show up for the pairs audition. Ms. Darbus asked her to fill in for the girl," Sharpay stopped. "And she got the part. Gabi got the part. I couldn't believe it. And I realized I wasn't even mad at her. I was just proud."

"She got the part?" Troy was surprised. "I can't believe she even auditioned."

"Me either. She's so shy, you know? But her voice…" Sharpay trailed off. "She has a beautiful voice." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I just want to hear her sing right now. I want her to wake up and sing with me."

Troy looked at Gabriella again, his heart breaking. There was so much he had missed, and he hated himself for it.

"I haven't heard her sing since we were kids," he said quietly. "She loved this one song – a lullaby her dad sang to her before he died. She sang it all the time. I would sing it to her sometimes, when she was sad." Sharpay looked at him.

"She misses you like crazy, you know? She doesn't talk about it, but I always catch her watching you in the hallway or the cafeteria," she told him.

"I've been a terrible friend," Troy groaned, his head falling into his hands. "I talked to her yesterday and she would barely look at me. I decided last night, I was going to make it up to her. Even though I probably don't deserve to be forgiven." He paused. "Then we got the phone call."

"She would forgive you, Troy. If she could forgive me for all the shitty things I did to her when we were kids, she can definitely forgive you. You're her best friend."

"But-"

"No buts. She's my best friend, but I'm not hers. I was never any competition for you."

Silence.

"What was that lullaby you mentioned before?" Sharpay asked softly. Troy couldn't help the tiny smile that crossed his face as he turned to Gabriella, opening his mouth to sing.

/

Taylor, Kelsi, and Ryan returned half an hour later with a pair of Gabriella's pajamas and food for everyone. They dropped her things on the nightstand by the bed and the five teenagers sat staring at their friend silently. They chewed on sandwiches that Kelsi had made, but none of them were particularly hungry. Troy hadn't even touched his. They were all startled when a woman rushed into the room, crying. She was followed by Lucille and Jack.

"Maria," Troy said weakly.

"Oh, god," Maria gasped as she saw her daughter. "Oh, no." Sharpay stood, giving her seat to the older woman. Maria collapsed in the chair, clutching at her daughter's hand. Everyone else stood.

"We'll just – we'll give you a minute, Maria," Lucille said. The teens began to file out of the door, but Troy hesitated – he didn't want to leave. He walked over to Maria and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Thank you for being here, Troy. She would – she would be happy that you're here."

/

"We'll stay," Taylor said. "Just in case Mrs. Montez needs anything."

Lucille had finally coaxed Troy into going home, showering, and changing, but he was still hesitant.

"It'll be okay, Troy," Sharpay said, pulling him into a hug. He was surprised, but he still returned the embrace.

"I know you haven't slept," Sharpay continued quietly, into his ear. "She wouldn't want this. You need to take care of yourself."

All he could do was nod. He left with his dad, Lucille deciding to stay behind, and he was silent the entire ride back to his house.

He shuffled his way inside and up to his bedroom without a word. Nothing felt real. He took a hot shower and put on fresh clothes and lay down in his bed, waiting for sleep to take over. He was exhausted, he could feel it, and his back hurt from the uncomfortable hospital chair, but his mind was racing. He couldn't just sit there, not with the anxiety building up in his chest the way it was, the tight not in his stomach making him feel sick. He stood up and grabbed a jacket, pulling on an old pair of sneakers, and made his way downstairs.

"I'm going for a walk," Troy said to his father as he rushed through the kitchen.

"Be careful," Jack said. "Be back by four."

The front door was already slamming shut. Troy braced himself as he stood on the sidewalk outside Gabriella's house. He made his way into the backyard. He stared at the tree, the one he had climbed so many times, his eyes trailing up to her balcony. He started to climb.

 _Gabriella was startled by a tapping on the glass of her balcony doors. Her jaw dropped when she saw Troy standing outside. She nearly laughed before she remembered that she was mad at him. She huffed and buried her head back in her book, trying to tune out the tapping sound. After ten minutes, she sighed and tossed her book on the bed beside her, getting up and walking over to the door._

" _I don't want to talk to you, Troy," she said, crossing her arms. "That guy pushed me on the ground and you laughed! You laughed at me! Taylor was the only one with the deceny to help me – "_

 _The glass doors remained locked and closed. Troy's response was muffled._

" _I'm sorry, Ella," he said, looking miserable. She just frowned at him, noticing that his lip was bleeding. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern and she unlocked the door, stepping outside. She touched his face gingerly._

" _Is that a bruise? Troy, what happened?"_

 _He smiled weakly. "You should see the other guy."_

" _Oh my god, Troy, you didn't!"_

" _I'm an idiot, Gabriella! I shouldn't have done that. I should have helped you. I'm a terrible friend, but I'm_ your _friend, and I wanted to make it up to you. So I might have punched the guy."_

" _You didn't have to do that," she said softly. She shivered as a cold breeze blew by, grabbing Troy by the arm and leading him inside. She sat him on the edge of her bed._

" _Are you in trouble?" she asked._

" _Are you kidding? Dad says I'm grounded for life. I'm not supposed to be here – "_

" _Troy!"_

" _I wanted to apologize," he argued, standing up._

" _How did you even get on my balcony?"_

" _I climbed the tree," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world._

" _Oh my god," she said._

" _I messed up, big time. But I promise you, that guy isn't gonna bother you anymore."_

" _Troy – "_

" _I'm sorry, Gabriella – "_

" _Troy, shut up," she interrupted. His mouth snapped shut and he looked at her. She took in the sight of him, a split lip, a bruising eye, a guilty frown. She pulled him into a hug._

" _I forgive you," she whispered. She felt his sigh of relief as he tucked his head into the crook of her neck. They stood like that for a while. Then she started to giggle._

" _What?" Troy asked, amused. She felt his smile on the side of her neck._

" _I can't believe you tried to fight an eighth grader, Troy."_

" _He had it coming," he laughed, pulling away from her to look at her face._

" _You're an idiot," she told him matter-of-factly. He nodded._

" _You're right," he replied, mimicking her tone._

" _If your dad fins out you're here, he'll kill you."_

" _I guess I'll just have to make sure he doesn't find out."_

" _You should go home before he figures out that you're gone," she said._

" _I guess you're right," he said, making his way to the balcony. She followed him outside and watched him swing over the rail, stepping onto a thick tree branch._

" _I'll see you tomorrow, Troy."_

" _Bye, Ella," he grinned, waving. She shook her head as she watched him climb, but she couldn't stop the smile that bloomed on her face as his feet touched the ground and he looked back at her one last time._

Troy's legs swung over the railing and his feet hit the wood of the balcony platform. He reached for the door handle. After that night, she always left the balcony door unlocked for him – just in case. He hadn't climbed up there in years.

His heart broke when the door swung open easily. She still didn't lock it. She was still waiting for him.

He stepped into her bedroom, the door clicking shut behind him. The room looked the same as he remembered – the walls a light cream color, her desk, neat, but her floor, messy. There was a corkboard on the wall above her nightstand. He examined the pictures, his eyes falling on one in particular.

Gabriella was on the stage in the school auditorium, a microphone in hand, Sharpay beside her. She was laughing or singing, he couldn't tell, but her eyes were sparkling and her hair fell like a waterfall down her back. She was beautiful.

Then another caught his eye – he pulled it off the board and held it up. It was him – him and her, at his first basketball game of freshman year. Two years ago. She was smiling at the camera. He was smiling at her.

Troy turned away from the board, picture still in hand, and he kicked off his shoes and laid down on her bed. He buried his face in her pillow, breathing in the scent of her, hugging the photograph to his chest, and he was finally able to cry himself to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Here's the next chapter! This is going to be wrapping up pretty soon. Probably only one more chapter, maybe two. But don't worry, I have another story in the works right now that I'm almost finished writing entirely, and I'm really excited about it. Enjoy!_

 _-Nicole_

Three weeks had passed, and Troy fell into a new routine. He dragged himself out of bed every morning and went through the motions – school, basketball practice, homework. His mother was the only thing stopping him from visiting the hospital every night. He'd made a compromise – he went with Maria every two days. A lot of the time, Sharpay, Taylor, Ryan, and Kelsi would tag along. The teens had found a strange common ground as they missed their friend. They'd started to come to Troy's games. Sometimes, Troy would elect to sit with them at lunch instead of the rest of the team. It was nice.

 _It would be nicer with Gabriella._

Troy stood at his locker, staring at the picture he had taken from her room and taped to the metal door.

"Hey, Troy."

Troy snapped out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Taylor. How are you doing?"

It had been a few days since the two had really spoken.

"I'm okay, it's just weird…we have a Scholastic Decathlon meet after school today, and I don't…" Taylor's eyes were watering. "I don't know if I can do this without Gabriella. I'm just so sick of this, I want her to wake up…"

Troy pulled the crying girl into a hug.

"You can," he said confidently. "Ella would want you to."

He released Taylor and looked her in the eye.

"I'm worried too. We have a basketball game tomorrow, the first of the season, and I haven't exactly been playing my best since this all happened. But I'll come today, if you want. To support you. I know Sharpay, Ryan, and Kelsi are planning on going after rehearsal, and I can come after practice. I can probably talk some of the guys into going with me."

"Going with you where?"

Troy and Taylor turned to look at Chad, who was looking at the pair strangely.

"To the Scholastic Decathlon meet after practice," Troy said.

"Oh. Okay, sure," Chad shrugged. "I'll go."

Taylor smiled through the tears.

"Thanks guys. I'd better get to class."

"See ya, Tay," Troy said, glancing one last time at the photograph in his locker before slamming it shut.

The school seemed quieter in recent weeks – hallways less cheerful, classes more glum. Everyone had heard by now what had happened. Troy could hear people whisper when he walked by them on his way to homeroom.

" _I heard she won't wake up."_

" _Is she gonna be okay?"_

" _I feel so bad for her friends…"_

He ignored them the best he could, but sometimes it got to be too much. He worried every day, a tight knot in his chest, tying him to the ground like someone was yanking him down. It was hard to pick up his feet and move forward some days, but he held on to the hope – they all did – that Gabriella would wake up soon.

He trudged his way through his first few classes and counted down the moments until lunch. He had been burying himself in his school work, in practice – but today, he wasn't in the mood. When the bell finally rang, he dashed out of the classroom. As he reached the cafeteria, he decided he wasn't particularly hungry and made his way further down the hall, slipping into a small room.

Kelsi sat at the piano in the practice room, playing a piece Troy didn't recognize. He walked up and sat next to her on the piano bench just as she finished the song.

"That was really nice," he said, running his finger along the edge of the keys. Kelsi smiled, but it was a tiny smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I just finished writing it. It's for Gabi. When she wakes up."

He looked at her, smiling softly.

"She'll love it," he said. He couldn't deny that he had taken a liking to the petite composer – he immediately understood why she and Gabriella were friends. She was shy, but she had a wonderful personality when she opened up.

"I'm going to the Scholastic Decathlon later. For Taylor," he continued. "You guys are going too, right?"

"Yeah," Kelsi nodded.

"Good."

There was a moment of comfortable silence, suddenly broken by Kelsi's question.

"She will wake up, won't she?" Kelsi asked, her voice cracking slightly. Troy looked up from the piano keys to her face. Her eyes were red and watery as she looked at him.

"I don't know," he said honestly. Kelsi sniffled and leaned her head on his shoulder. The two friends sat in silence for the rest of the period.

/

 _His feet hit the floor of her balcony. Since the first time he'd climbed the tree, his nighttime visits had become a regular occurrence. She left her doors unlocked for him, always expecting him to come._

 _Tonight, though, she had asked him to come._

 _His heart broke when he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, crying._

" _Ella, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting beside her and pulling her into a hug. He ran his fingers through her hair, knowing it calmed her down._

" _Why do I even bother?" she sobbed._

" _Bother what?" Troy asked. He was confused. They'd been having a good eighth grade year. Gabriella was always so happy. He hated that she was upset._

" _Bother with anything. No one cares," she sniffed. "No one cares about me. They act like I don't have feelings."_

" _Hey, hey, where's this coming from?" he exclaimed. "Lots of people care about you. Your mom and Taylor. Me. We all think you're pretty damn great."_

 _She almost laughed, he could tell. But she didn't._

" _Jacob Matthews asked me out today."_

" _What?"_

" _Jacob Matthews asked me out. As a joke."_

" _He did what?" Troy asked. His voice came out cold._

" _It was just embarrassing. I wasn't even going to say yes – I've always thought he was an asshole. But then his friends were laughing and I just froze up and – I walked away. It was awful, Troy."_

" _I'm gonna kill him," Troy said angrily._

" _No you're not," she said. She was silent for another moment, choking on her next words. "He told me I was a waste of space."_

" _He_ said _that to you?"_

" _Yeah. Maybe I am."_

" _Gabriella, look at me."_

 _She looked up to his face, biting her lip. His brow was furrowed in concern, blue eyes sparking with anger._

" _You're not a waste of space," he said firmly. "You're my best friend, and I never want to hear you say shit like that ever again. The world would suck without you in it."_

" _You think?"_

" _I know."_

/

The next morning, Troy was exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep. He wanted to cringe at the dark circles that had developed under his bloodshot eyes. He looked pathetic.

He pulled on the cleanest pair of jeans he could find and a blue shirt. Quickly, he ran his fingers through his hair until it looked somewhat presentable. Then he shoved his books in his bag and went downstairs to grab himself some breakfast. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he knew his mom would be upset if she saw he wasn't eating.

Lucille sat at the kitchen paper quietly, nursing a cup of coffee and reading the daily newspaper. Jack had left for school twenty minutes earlier to grade papers. She gave her son a tiny smile when he walked in the room, grabbing a granola bar from the cabinet.

He bit into the breakfast bar angrily. The phone rang while he was chewing, and Lucille got up to get it.

"Hello? Oh, Maria, how are you doing?"

Troy looked at his mom.

"Oh my god," Lucille gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Oh my god."

His heart sank in his chest.

"No," he whispered, turning white. "She's not – she can't be – "

 _She can't be dead._

"We'll be right there," Lucille said quickly, hanging up the phone. She turned to look at Troy.

He was ready to throw up.

"Gabriella?" he said weakly.

"She's awake!" Lucille exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The color came back to Troy's face and his body flooded with relief.

"She's awake," he repeated. He processed the information.

"She's going to be fine, Troy."

He smiled, so big it hurt his face.

"She's going to be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

_We're coming close to the end, people! Sorry it's been a while since the last chapter, school has been hectic. But here it is._

Standing outside the hospital room, Troy's heart was pounding. He had paused right before the closed door, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Lucille stood behind him. She touched her son's shoulder gently, pulling him to the side.

"What is it, Troy?"

"It's just – for her, nothing has changed," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything that's happened since…she wasn't there. She wasn't awake for any of that."

"No, she wasn't."

"What if she hates me? I haven't been there for her, not that she remembers. I've been such a jerk the last couple years, I'm such an idiot – "

"Troy," Lucille interrupted. "Look at me."

Troy turned around to look at his mother, and she felt a tug in her heart at the broken look on her son's face.

"She's alive. She's awake. And you have an opportunity now to make it up to her."

"What if she doesn't want me to?"

"She wants you to," Lucille said firmly. "Friendships like yours – those are forever."

Troy nodded, taking a deep breath. The door swung open slowly behind them, Maria's form appearing in the doorway. Troy turned to face her. Maria was smiling, brighter than he had ever seen before. He heard a gentle giggle coming from inside the room. When Maria saw them, her grin got even bigger.

"Oh, she's going to be so happy to see you both," Maria said excitedly. "I'm going to grab some lunch for the both of us – but go on in, she'll be so glad to see you."

"I'll join you, Maria," Lucille offered. "Go ahead, Troy."

The older women made their way down the hallway and Troy was left standing alone. He took another deep breath, turning around and walking toward the hospital room.

When he first walked in, all he heard was the quiet hum of the television. An old cartoon was playing – one he used to watch with Gabriella when they were kids. She was sitting up in bed, legs crossed, eyes trained on the screen, smiling softly to herself. At the sound of his footsteps, she turned to look. Her mouth fell open a bit before her expression bloomed into a smile. At the sight of it, Troy couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi," he said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. His throat was closing, eyes becoming watery.

"Hi, Troy," she said softly.

"Jesus, Ella," he said, almost desperately. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Sorry for what?"

"For just…for not being there for you. Like it used to be. I missed you," he said quietly. "I still miss you."

"I miss you too," she said simply, reaching out an arm.

He crossed the room in three long steps and gathered her in a hug. It was awkward and clumsy, and he was crying just a little, but his relief was unimaginable. Then, releasing her, Troy sat in front of her on the bed. He clasped her hands in his.

"We were all so scared that you wouldn't wake up."

"We?"

"Me, Taylor, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi…"

"You've been talking to my friends?" she asked, surprised.

"We all missed you," he said simply. Then he laughed a little. "I can't believe you and Sharpay Evans –"

"I know," she giggled. "Sometimes things just happen, I guess."

"I should have been paying attention," he said.

"Paying attention to what?"

"To you. I've been so wrapped up in everything else that I forgot about my best friend," he said. He looked down at their clasped hands.

"It's okay, Troy," she said. "I've been busy too. A lot of things have changed since we were young."

"I promised you I would always be there when you needed me," he said.

"You're here now, aren't you?" she asked. She paused for a moment. "You know, my mom told me. That you've been here, while I was…"

"Yeah," he said softly, his voice cracking a bit.

"So don't say you haven't been there for me. Because you're here right now and that's what counts."

"Yeah," he said, a bit more confidently. "I do owe, you though. When you get out of here, we have a few years of movie nights to catch up on."

"Let's get started, shall we?" she suggested, nodding at the TV. He grinned, standing up. She shifted over on the bed and he climbed in next to her, on top of the blanket. And they flipped through the channels, watching old cartoons, laughing even when they weren't funny.

His heart leapt whenever she giggled – he was watching her more than the television. So happy, so full of life. So healthy.

"I missed you," he said suddenly. She turned to look at him, smiling softly.

"You already told me that, you dork," she teased. He smiled, wrapping an arm around her and tugging her close. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and they both turned back toward the TV.

"I missed you too," she said quietly. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Best friends," he said. "Forever and ever.

"Forever and ever," she repeated.


	6. Chapter 6

_This is the end! This will probably be the last HSM fic I do for a while, unless I get any specific requests. I've got lots and lots of Doctor Who stuff in the works right now so if you're into that, check it out! But for now, peace out, Troyella fans._

 _-Nicole_

/

After about a week of observation, Gabriella was antsy to get home to her own bed. When the doctor finally cleared her, she wanted to cry with joy. Quickly, Maria helped her pack up her things and they left.

Gabriella sighed contentedly as she walked in her own front door. Gone was the terrible, too-clean hospital smell. She took a deep breath of home and smiled, making her way past the foyer, though she struggled a bit on her crutches. She was met with a lovely surprise when she walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights.

"SURPRISE!"

She started, dropping the bag she was holding. All of her friends stood in the kitchen. Balloons floated high, brushing against the ceiling. Sharpay was already snapping pictures at the bewildered look on her face. Ryan and Kelsi laughed. Taylor rushed forward to hug her.

A slow smile crossed Gabriella's face and she was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion as she took in the crowd – her friends, their parents – the Scholastic Decathlon team, the drama club, the basketball team.

"I love you guys," she said, her voice thick. She met Troy's eyes over Taylor's shoulder and he smiled, winking at her.

When Taylor finally released her, she was tackled by Sharpay.

"I'm assuming this was your doing?" Gabriella laughed. Sharpay just grinned.

"It's true that I planned this," she admitted almost sheepishly. "But it was Troy's idea."

Just as Gabriella spun around to find Troy and thank him, he caught her in a hug.

"Welcome home, Ella," he said, hugging her tightly to his chest. She giggled.

"Thank you."

"Now, we've got burgers and hot dogs on the grill!" called Jack Bolton across the house.

Gabriella gasped and pulled back from Troy's embrace.

"I love your Dad's burgers!"

"It's almost like I knew that when I helped Sharpay plan this," he teased. She hit him in the shoulder playfully.

"Is that Chad?" Gabriella asked suddenly, confused. She pointed across the living room at the head of hair that stood out in the crowd.

"Sure is," Troy nodded. "The whole basketball team came."

"Why?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I wanted them to meet you," he told her, and she blushed. He could tell she was nervous. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said firmly, pushing her along toward his friends, helping her along with the crutches.

"Hey man!" Chad exclaimed as he saw them nearing. He bumped fists with Troy. Then he turned to smile at Gabriella. "Hey, Gabriella. Glad to see you're doing better. This guy was a mess without you around." He poked at Troy for emphasis.

Gabriella looked doubtful, and she was surprised when Troy nodded in agreement.

"It's nice to meet you, Chad," Gabriella said, smiling at him as she absentmindedly tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Sorry about the broken leg. I've been there before," Chad said sympathetically, gesturing at the cast. "But hey, you can blame Bolton for that."

"I didn't make you climb that tree, Chad," Troy said, rolling his eyes.

"You're such a showoff though! 'Master Tree Climber' my ass," Chad laughed. He turned back to Gabriella. "Anyways – I know we have third period together, so if you ever need help carrying your books or anything, I got your back."

"Really?" Gabriella said, rather shocked at his open kindness.

"Of course. Anyone who's Troy's friend is my friend too," he said.

"Gabi! Come here!" called Kelsi from across the room.

"Sorry," Gabriella said. "I should go talk to her. But really, Chad, thank you so much. I can't wait to meet the rest of the team."

"Are you gonna be okay?" Troy said, gesturing to her crutches.

"I got it," Gabriella said confidently, already holding herself a bit higher. He smiled at her proudly as she hobbled away. Then he turned to Chad.

"Thank you, man. That means a lot to her, you know."

"I got your back Troy. And hers," Chad smiled.

Suddenly feedback from a microphone interrupted their conversation. Both boys turned to see Sharpay standing on top of the couch with a bedazzled microphone.

"Hey everyone! Thank you so much for coming to Gabi's surprise party! A few of us had some small things we wanted to give her, but Kelsi has actually been doing a lot of writing, and she wrote a song for Gabi. So I totally just bullied her into singing it in front of all of us, isn't that great?"

"Thanks _so_ much Sharpay," Gabriella groaned. She sat next to Kelsi at a grand piano in the corner of the room.

A number of the partygoers whooped and cheered, eager and attentive as Sharpay handed over the microphone to Kelsi.

"Actually, I'm gonna need some help from one more person," Kelsi said, a bit shyly. "This song, which I originally intended to be a solo, eventually became a duet. And I had some help writing it. Troy?"

Everyone went quiet and turned to look at him. He smiled sheepishly as he approached the piano. Gabriella stared at him, completely confused.

"You can sing?" she asked.

"Apparently. Kelsi thinks so," he said, nodding at the composer. "I've been practicing with her during lunch period."

A brilliant smile crossed Gabriella's face as she looked up at him. Kelsi played the starting notes on the piano and Troy smiled as he sang the first lines.

" _You know the world can see us, in a way that's different than who we are…"_

He knew his friends would tease him for it later.

But he knew it was worth it when Gabriella reached up and pressed a kiss to his cheek at the end of the song.


End file.
